A Difficult Choice
Zhu Min was somewhat worried, but he steadied himself and answered carefully. "The situation has been chaotic lately, so I gathered these senior members to make some security arrangements. I did it with the academy's survival and self-preservation in mind."
Duo Tong nodded. "You've worked hard. The academy is in a difficult position, and there aren't many people who can shoulder the burden. It's fortunate to have you here to help me bear some of it. Otherwise, I'd truly struggle to manage everything and would be completely overwhelmed."
Of course, Zhu Min couldn't deny his leader's praise. He smiled politely, saying that it was simply his duty.
Then, as if asking casually, he said, "Grand Scholar Duo Tong, when you went to Taiyi Academy before, the senior members of the three academies held a small-scale meeting. How did things go afterward? Did the three sides reach any agreement?"
Duo Tong shook his head. "The situation is complicated, far beyond what either of us imagined. And with the unexpected developments, things don't look optimistic."
Zhu Min asked in surprise, "What unexpected developments? Could anything be worse than the civil war that's been going on these past few years?"
Duo Tong fell silent for a moment, then said bitterly, "What would you think if I told you that the civil war of these past few years might only be the beginning of something even worse?"
"What? Why would you say that, sir?" Zhu Min was genuinely at a loss.
Duo Tong didn't keep him guessing. "I regard you as a trusted confidant. At this point, there's no need to hide anything from you. The meeting ended badly for all three sides, to put it mildly. Shen Guang in particular is naïve. Even now, he's still ambitious. He wants to